Apparatus for the manufacture of stockings in a single working process



Aug. 18, 195 3 J. vAcLAvl'k ET AL 2,643,960

APPARATUS FOR THE. MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS IN A SINGLE WORKING PROCESS Filed Nov. 1, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l M m ATTORNEYS K u w A L A M J A T W Aug. 18, 1953 J. VACLAVIK ET AL v 2,648,960

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS 'IN A SINGLE WORKING PROCESS Filed Nov. 1, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS -Puuim.

Ida/L ATTORNEYS 1953 J. vAcLAvlK ET AL 2,648,960

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACT E OF STOCKINGS IN A SINGLE WORKIN ROCESS Filed Nov. 1, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS J 45 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1953 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS IN A SINGLE WORK- ING PROCESS Jaroslav Vaclavik, Gottwaldov I, and Miroslav Kopi'iva, Gottwaldov II, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Svit, narodni podnik, Gottwaldov,

Czechoslovakia Application November 1, 1950, Serial No. 193,384 In Czechoslovakia November 29, 1949 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for the manufacture of stockings in a single working process, the apparatus being constituted by a flat weft knitting machine having a sectional needle bar with the middle section of the bar mounted to rock relatively to the main body of the same.

With the use of prior knitting frames of this type, when the knitting of the heel pockets has been terminated and before closing the middle section of the needle bar, the attendant has to lift by hand the knitted vamp of the stocking, which is supported on the needles of the rocked middle section of the needle bar and has not yet been pressed off, in the direction of the needle axes up to a position beneath the needle hooks and this operation is to be carried out separately for each needle bank. The purpose of this operation is to secure reliable and perfect closing of the middle section of the needle bar, more particularly of the end zones, where the vamp and the heel pockets meet when the heel pockets are knitted in to continue the knitting of the following courses extending over the whole width of the stocking foot.

With a plurality of machines to be served by a single attendant, especially if the number of their needle banks is small, the knitting operations on the various machines are not synchronous, so that it is necessary to lift by hand the middle parts or vamps of the stockings at different times and this requires the particular attention of the attendant as should the attendant fail to perform this operation at the right moment, the articles produced may be of lower grade.

The above disadvantages are eliminated by the new method of manufacturing stockings in a single working process in which a sectional needle bar is used of which the middle section is arranged to rock relatively to the main body of the needle bar, the vamp part of the stocking supported on the shanks of the needles of the rocking middle portion of the needle bar being lifted, when the knitting of the heel pockets has been terminated, by an automatically controlled lifting device in the direction of the needle axes up to a position beneath the needle hooks. The automatic operation of the lifting device, when the knitting of the heel pockets has been terminated, does not take place until after the middle section of the needle bar has been rocked to a position out of reach of the sinkers.

The apparatus for carrying out the above outline method, which is formed by a flat weft knitting frame, is designed with the lifting device arranged in part in the rockable middle section and in part in the main body of the needle bar so that the lifter, which is guided in the middle section of the needle bar, is adapted to co-operate with sliding members guided in the adjacent main sections of the needle bar whereby the sliding members and the lifter are raised or lowered conjointly in the direction of the needle axes. The co-operation of the lifter with the sliding members is secured by means of two pins which are provided on the lifter and extend from both sides of the middle section of the needle bar so as to engage into closed arcuate slots in the two sliding members. The lifting device is controlled positively in a manner known per se by lateral displacement of a rail which is arranged on the sectional needle bar and is provided with cam elements. The movement of the rail and the rocking of the middle section of the needle bar follow each other at such a sequence that when the knitting of the heel pockets is initiated by a partial displacement of the rail, the middle section of the needle bar is caused to swing and thereby assume a position out of reach of the pressing edge of the sinker head. When a part of the heel pockets has been knitted, a further displacement of the rail takes place causing the middle section of the needle bar to rock to' a position out of reach of the sinkers. When the heel pockets are completed, the respective cam elements will raise the lifter whereby the knitted fabric of the vamp portion of the stocking, which is held on the shanks of the needles of the rocked middle section of the needle bar, will be shifted up to a position beneath the needle hooks.

An apparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of the sectional needle bar in position of rest, in conjunction with a lifting device which is controlled by the main cam shaft and pattern drum;

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view at an enlarged scale along the line A-A of Fig. 1 extending parallel to the needle row;

Figs. 3 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the needle bar with the sinker head'along the vertical plane B-B of Fig. 1 extending at right angles to the needle row, the parts being shown in different working phases, as is explained more fully hereinafter; and I Fig. 9 is an axometric view of the lifting device.

The sectional needle bar shown in the drawings is of the known type and comprises two fixed main working sections and a rockable middle section 2, Fig. l, which is mounted on a pivot pin 3 carried by :the-needle bar and .partakes or" all the movements of the main working sections of the needle bar. section 2 of the needle bar during the period of knitting the heel pockets and the wedgingof the said middle section towards the line of the needles 4 of the main working sections are effected by a closing device 5, known per se, whichis arranged upon the rockable middle section 2 and is actuated by a cam element 6 on a rail '1, known per se, mounted for sliding movement in bearings 8 on the main working sections of the needle bar. The cam element 6 is provided with three cam surfaces of difierent heights, "i. e. a lowest face 6' connected through an intermediate trace 6" with the highest face *Which is level with the surface of the camelement 6.

The lifting device-comprises .a lifter '9 which .is mountedslidably in the rockable middle section 2 of theneedle bar and has a part ll! of the same bent out-at right angles to .the plane of the lifter and adapted to engage into a recess H of the rockablemiddle section 2 of the needle bar whenever the lifter is moved out .of its working position (Fig. 4). Pins |2 (Fig. 9) projectin from the lifter -9 on both sidesof the rockable middle section 2 :of the needle bar engage into arcuate slots |3iormed in sliding members M. The sliding-members |4, which are mounted movably on hothsides-of the lifter 9 in the fixed main workingsections (Fig. 1) land in the lids l5, are providedwith projections 16 guided in lids v|| which are fastened on the hired main sections of the needle bar, and under the eilect of compression springs l8 (Fig. :2) the projections l6 arecaused to .-slide either over the upper .face of the rail 1 or over cam elements 19 which are adjustably secured to the rail '1 bymeans of small screws. Eachspring 18 mounted vertically in a fixedmain working section of the needle bar exerts pressure .bylits free-.end'on-a shoulder 20 f the projection tfi of the slidin member l4 (Fig. 2).

The :device for controlling automatically the lateral displacementof the rail 1 for rocking the middle section 12 of theneedle bar and producing vertical movement of the lifting @device comprises azcontrol'rod 2| (Fig.1) which =is-parallel with the needle :bar :and .is mounted in the side members 22 of the knitting frame. Within the range of each'gneedle bar the rod 2| has secured thereon a single armed shifting lever 23 of which the free end 24 engages into a fork -25-fastened to the :rail 1; Thelateral position-on the lever 23 is fixed by set'ringsilfi which are fastened to the control rod 2| on both-sides of the hub of the lever 23. .The free end of the control rod 2| is mounted slidably in:a bracket32 screwed on the outer wall of the side .:member 22 and is provided with a block 21 whichearries'a'pivot pin 28 for a roller 29 adapted to engage into a groove 36 formed in a drum 3|. "The drum 31 is fastened on a short shaft 33 which is mounted with its one end in the side member 22 and with its-otherend in the bracket 32. On onefront face of the-drum 3| adjacent to the sideimember'2-2 is fastened by screws a divisinn'vvheel134 havingnotches 35 to receive a lockingzpawl 36. The 'pawl 36 is mounted slidably in the bracket 32 and :is urged by a spring 37 into engagement with the notches 35 of the wheel34. Qn the -;other front face of the drum 3| is fas tened by screws a ratchet wheel 38 the teethof which engage with a pawl '39. The pawl 39 is The rocking of the middle pivoted by means of a pin 40 to a driver 4| and is urged by a coiled spring 42 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 38. The driver 4| of the pawl '39 isrmountedgpivotallyron a -shoulderrof the drum 3|. To the end of the small shaft 33 extending from the bracket 32 is fastened a hand wheel 43 which permits to turn the drum 3| by hand.

Arpartialrotation of the drum 3| (Fig. 1) to control automatically the rocking movement of the middle section of the needle bar and the vertical movement of the lifting device is derived from'the-main cam-shaft 44 of the machine which is mounted-rotatably in the side members 22 and carries acam disc-45. The circumference of the cam disc co-operates during an appropriate period with a roller-46 which is mounted rotatably on a fixed pin '41 provided on one of the arms of a lever 48. The lever 48 is mounted by means of its hub 49 pivotally on a pin 5!] screwed into the side member 22 of the .machine. The other arm of the lever 48 is connected .to the .driver 4l by means of a link 5| which at. its ends is mounted pivotally on fixed pins.52.and'53.

The apparatus .is operated by a pattern drum 54 ,(Fig. 1) which ismounted rotatably on a supporting spindle '55 carried by the side member 22. The pattern drum .is provided on its periphery with a number of wedges '56, '53 which are of the same height but of diilerent'lengths and cc-operate with a small lever 58 rigidly connected to a shaft 59 mounted in the side member 22. Alever 63 which similarly to the lever 158 is rigidly connected to the shaft 159, is coupled with a link 6| of which the other endis connected to one arm of .a small lever 62 freely rotatable about a pin 63 screwed into the side member 22. The other .arm of the lever 62 is provided at its free end with a finger64 and a cam face 65 which is adapted to act for a certain period upon the head '66 of apin'fil s'lidable in abore 'formed in the side member 22. A spring 68 surrounding the pin filand bearing with its ends against the'head 66 of the ,pin and the side member 22, respec tively, keeps the head 66 of the pin 5.? permanently in contact with that .end of the arm .of the lever 62 which carries the finger 64. The free end of the pin 61 .is provided with a groove '69 which during a certain period receives a lug "TIE! on .a lever H. The'leverl'l 'is fastened adjustably on the ,shouldered'hub '49 of the double-armed lever 4.8. A spring 72 secured at its one end to the lever 1| and at its other end to .an anchor (not shown) on the .side member 22 serves to cause at suitable moments either engagement of the lug '18 on the lever "H with th groove 68 of the pin 57, or engagement of the roller 46 with the cam discs 45. A spring 13 fastened with its one end to the lever 62 and-with its other-end to an anchor (not :shown) on the side member 22 keeps the end of the "lever 58 in contactwith the wedges "55 and 5'! or with the surface "of the pattern drumififi.

The apparatus as far described operates in the following manner:

Before the knitting of the heel pockets is initiated, the needles 4 .of the main working sections 1 and of the rockable middle section 2 of the needle bar are all in the same plane (Figs. 1 and 8-position I) At this stage the end of the lever .53 lies on the cam face of the longest Wedge 5.6011 the pattern drum E54 and the finger 64 of the lever 52 exerts pressure .upon the head 66 of the .pin 61, whereby the groove 59 in the pint! engages with the lug 19 on the lever 14 and the roller 46 is out of contact with the circumference of the cam disc 45. The drum 3!, rail 1 and lifter 9 are in their position of rest shown in Figs. 1 and 8.

During the knitting of the first course of meshes of the heel pockets automatic advance of the pattern drum 54 takes place in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, so that the end of the lever 58 under the action of the spring T3 is caused to slide from the cam face of a wedge 56 down on to the surface of the pattern drum 54. Thereby the lever 66 and link 6| cause the lever 62 to rock so that the finger 64 with the cam face 65 is moved downwards. As at this moment the roller 46 of the lever 48 is brought against the highest point of the circumference of the cam disc 45, the lug 70 of the lever H is withdrawn from the groove 69 of the pin 6? and under the action of the compression spring 68 th head 66 of the pin 6'! slides along the cam face 65 of the finger 64 on to the free lower end of the lever 62. Thereby the free end of the pin 6'! with the groove 69 is caused to enter into the corresponding bore in the side member 22 so that under the action of the spring 12, and of the rolling movement of the roller 46 from the highest point of the cam disc 45 along a part of the circumference of the latter, the lever H is caused to rock upwards (to the dotted line position H in Fig. 1). At the same time the link 5! and driver 4| are moved back due to the rocking of the lever 48 so that the pawl 39 which slides idly over the circumference of the ratchet wheel 38 will engage with one of the ratchet teeth, whereby an advance of the drum 3| is permitted. Continued travel of the roll 46 around the periphery of the cam disc 45 will cause the ratchet wheel 38 and drum 3| to turn through a certain angle so that under the action of the curved groove 36 in the drum 3| the follower 29 and with it the control rod 2| are moved to the left in a horizontal direction. As soon as the advance of the drum 3| is terminated, the locking pawl 36 falls into a notch 35 of the division wheel 34 whereby the drum 3| is locked for a time in its position of rest. During the advance of the drum 3! the roller 46 has been brought again to th highest point of the circumference of the cam disc 45 and the end of the lever H has been brought under the lower edge of the retracted pin 67 against the action of the spring 12. At this moment another advance of the pattern drum 54 takes place causing the end of the lever 58, which still rests on the surface of the pattern drum, to ride up on to one of the short wedges 57. The lever 66 is lowered and the longer arm of the lever 62 is raised so that the cam face 65 of the finger 64 exerts pressure on the head 66 of the pin 6'! so as to push the pin out of the side member 22. Immediately the roller 46 has left the highest point of the circumference of the cam disc 45, the lug 70 on the lever M will enter the groove 69 in the pin 61. Each rotation of the cam disc 45 corresponds to an advance of the drum 3!. The horizontal displacement of the control rod 2! as referred to hereinbefore produces movement in the same direction of the shifting lever 23, fork 25 and rail 1. The closing device 5 of the rockable middle section 2 of the needle bar is unlocked at the beginning of the movement of the rail 1, and during the further movement of the rail, i. e. at the end of the first advance of the drum 3|, the lowest cam face 5 of the cam element 6 causes the middle section 2 of the needle bar to rock to such an extent as to make the rocked needles ineffective for pressing (position II in Fig. 3). The first rocking movement of the 6 middle section 2 is small and only sufiicient to avoid breaking of the first meshes between the extreme needles of the fixed sections I and of the middle section 2 of the needle bars.

When a definite length of heel pockets has been knitted, advance of the pattern drum 54 takes place again, whereby the end of the lever 58 still resting on the surface of one of the short wedges 57 will slide down on to the surface of the pattern drum. The above described means cause the drum to be rotated through the same angle so that the rail 1 is moved further to the left until the inclined faces of its both cam elements l9 are arrested in front of the bevelled end of the extensions it of the sliding members M (Fig. 2). The highest face of the cam element 6 on the rail I will cause by its horizontal movement the middle section of the needle bar to swing through such an angle as to move the needles of this section out of range of the working sinkers 14, 15 (position III in Fig. 4). This provision is necessary in order to avoid damage of the meshes on the needles of the middle section 2 by contact with. the sinkers during the constant movement up and down of the needle bar. Due to the said swing of the middle section 2 of the needle bar about the pin 3 to the position shown in Fig. 3, the pins I2 of the lifter 9 travel idly in the respective slots 13 of the sliding members [4. now stationary, so that the lifter 9 remains engaged with its bent part III in the middle section 2 of the needle bar. After the swing of the middle section 2 of the needle bar, and. of the needles 4 of this section, to the position III (Fig. 4), the section is locked in this position till shortly before the knitting of the heel pockets is terminated, by another advance of the pattern drum 54 by which the end of the lever 58, still resting on the surface of the drum, is brought again to the next short wedge, whereby the advance of the drum 3| is terminated at the same time.

When the knitting of the heel pockets is terminated, an advance of the pattern drum 54 and of the drum 3| takes place in the manner described so that the rail 1 is shifted further to the left whereby the cam elements 19 on the latter will raise the extensions [6 of the sliding members l4 and thus also the lifter 9 to its working position (Fig. 5). Thereby the vamp portion of the stocking is raised in the direction of the needle axes up to a position beneath the needle hooks. With the needle bar middle section 2 and the needles 4 of the same still in the position III, in which the vamp position is held beneath the needle hooks, movement of the rail 1 is initiated in the opposite direction, i. e. to the right, under the action of the components parts described. whereby the extensions l6 of the sliding members M are lowered by the compression springs I8 (Fig. 2) from the level of the cam element l9 to the lower level of the surface of the rail 1 which is placed with its broader side in upright position (Fig. 6). The lifter!) being taken along by the sliding members is returned from its working position to its initial position in which it is fully engaged in the middle section 2 of the needle bar. During the continued movement of the rail 1 to the right, at the moment when the entire needle bar is in its upper position and the pull-in sinkers F4 are retracted in the sinker head, the middle section 2 of the needle bar with the needles 4 return first to an intermediate position IV (Fig. 7) in which they remain during the period of sinking and distribution by the sinkers. Duringthe just mentioned movement of therail Ito the right, the intermediate face t" of the cam element 5 permits the middle section 2 of the needle bar and the needles 4 to rock back 'from position III to position IV (Fig. 7). Upon a final advance of the patterndrum 54 and'of the drum 3| and lateral movement of the rail 1 to the right, when the entire needle bar is moving downwards and the pulling-in sinkers M together with the distributing sinkers '15 are moving in the direction towards the sinker head 16, the needle bar-middle section 2 and the needles 4 of the same will return from their intermediate positionIV to their initial position I, in which all-the needles of the needle bar lie again in the same plane (Figs. 1 and 8). By the return movement of the middle section 2 of the needle bar theknittedfabric is'reliably applied on the noses of the retracting sinkers without damage, from position IV to the initial position. The pins l2 of the lifter 9 travel idly in the respective slots 13 of the sliding members 14 which at this stage are-stationaryso that the lifter 9 remains engaged in the middle sectionof the needle bar. At this stage the-end of the lever 58 is moved again by the pattern drum 54 on to the face of the longest wedgeii of the pattern drum, so that also the :drum 3| and rail 1 are returned to their positionof rest (-Figs. 1 and 8).

The present invention is not limited to the example shown and described in which various structural modifications may be made without departing from the essential features of the invention. It should be understood that the inven- 8- tion may be applied alsoto other machines which work under similar conditions.

What we claim is:

1. A fiat weft knitting machine comprising a divided needle bar having relatively fixed -end sections and a relatively rockable middle section which is tiltable out of working position, a lifting device slidably mounted on said middle section and means part of which is carried by said end sections for automatically raising and lowering said lifting device while said middle section -is tilted out of working position.

2. A fiat weft knitting machine comprising -a divided needle bar having relatively fixed -end sections and a relatively rockable middle section, a lifting device slidably supported on said middle section, said lifting device having projectionsextending laterally over said end sections, sliding members mounted on said end sections adjacent said middle section, said sliding members having arcuate slots into which said projections extend, a rail slidably mounted on said end sections, said rail having cam surfaces adapted upon endwise reciprocation of said rail to engage cam-surfaces on said sliding members to raise and lower the same and means for reciprocating said rail.

vAcLAviK, JAROSLAV. KoPRIvA, MIROSLAV.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

